In this review, I will talk about the Dolores bog oak vape pipe for an 18350 battery from the master Old Mods. Packaging and accessories of Dolores from Old Mod. The device itself does not have a kit as such. Probably only a suede bag can be called “complete”. The device came to me neatly wrapped in bubble polyethylene, and everything that you see in the photo above except the tube itself can be ordered separately from the specialist. Including the mouthpiece, which will be made based on the size and characteristics of the drip tip’s fit on your atomizer so that the parts do not look alien, but organically form a single whole. My copy was made for Kayfun lite, which I decided to “make friends” with my Dolores. But, as you will see from the images below, this option also looks great on other atoms.
Dolores pipe with stand and mouthpiece
The same goes for the stand. You can completely ignore it and not order it, and keep the pipe either in a drawer or in the included bag. Or try to adapt something from store-bought consumer goods – in specialized tobacco shops you can find a wide variety of accessories for storing pipes. vape devices in australia But in my opinion, such a beauty needs to be kept in a visible place in a holder that matches the overall style. Therefore, I could not resist and asked the master not only for a mouthpiece, but also for such a wonderful stand. Moreover, it holds the setup perfectly, even if your atomizer is large and noticeably overweight, as, for example, is the case with the Brunhilde MTL RTA.
Appearance and design of Dolores from Old Mod
This is, in fact, what Dolores from Old Mods looks like with a Kayfun [lite] RTA and an installed mouthpiece assembled on a stand – even now for glass in a sideboard for the family set! Due to the chosen length, the drip tip not only perfectly cools the vapor (especially when it comes to MTL devices, for which Dolores is primarily intended), but also perfectly completes the overall appearance of the setup, bringing its visual appearance as close as possible to an “analog” tube. In my opinion, any comments or descriptions are simply unnecessary here; everything looks not only stunningly beautiful, but also organic.
Appearance of the Dolores tube with stand and curved drip tip
The only thing that gnaws at me is the thought that I should have asked the master to make the stand a little wider and with an additional hole in which I could store the mouthpiece – it has a standard 510 drip tip fit.
Appearance of a Dolores tube with a Dead Rabbit MTL RTA tank
Another example, but with a different tank, is the Dead Rabbit MTL RTA from Hellvape, which has a landing diameter of 22.5 mm. If you want the tube to have a connector of a different size, this must be discussed with the technician. It is necessary to take into account that all proportions are adjusted, so any change in any size will “pull” the remaining dimensions. Those. with a larger diameter of the pipe, its length will increase, and then the size of the bowl will increase, so that everything looks organic. Briefly from the words of the Old Mods master: “If you make the bowl in proportion to the pipe, then the tube will be unreasonably large with the 18350 battery used. In small products, every 0.1 mm is of great importance. Or do it at 18500.” So keep this in mind if you want to order a different fit. In general, Old Mods has ready-made options that have already been tried and tested “on people”. A year ago, when I ordered my pipe, there were only three of them. Today there is a much larger choice, including options for 18650 batteries and even with a DNA board. But I chose just one so that it would closely resemble a classic tobacco pipe, and at the same time be small and beautiful.
Characteristics of Dolores from Old Mod
Body materials: wood (in my photos – bog oak), aluminum
Connector diameter: 22 mm (to be discussed with the specialist)
Weight: 49 g (with battery: 72 g)
Supported battery format: 18350
Connector: 510
Button mechanism: spring, direct contact with battery
Features: custom-made stand, custom fitting of the mouthpiece to a specific tank by a master
My Dolores is made of bog oak, with the texture of brushed (I think that’s what it’s called) wood. And although in the photographs the surface of the device appears to be chipped, in fact it is polished and almost smooth to the touch with a pleasant texture. At the top, inside the bowl, there is a single control element – a button.
Dolores tube connector
The shank (the part opposite from the bowl) was replaced with a ∅22 mm connector with a spring-loaded brass pin. The part looks quite old school, even the four grooves leading into the central contact for the lower air supply through the pin are reminiscent of the unforgettable connectors from Fat Daddy from 2015. There are two hexagonal star screws on the platform, but I think that the connector is also either screwed into the thread or even glued into the wood. Or both at the same time, I didn’t risk turning the screws, the connection looks monolithic.
Contact inside Dolores tube 16350 battery inside Dolores tube
The button, as in many mechanical mods, which is Dolores, is also a lid – it hides the battery compartment underneath. It is unscrewed in the standard way – press it with your finger and rotate it counterclockwise, twist it in the opposite direction. Inside you can see the contact pad for the battery and a small wire (not included in the photo) running from the thread for the button to the connector. Naturally, no electronics. The manufacturer himself recommends installing the battery with the plus side inward, but in reality there is no fundamental difference; the polarity does not matter here. I tried installing it this way and that way, everything works great for me in any position.
16350 battery and Dolores handset
From all the photos you can clearly see that the device is extremely compact, its size is quite comparable to the power source from which it operates. When compared to “real” medium-sized tobacco pipes, Dolores is quite comparable to them, and from the outside it is almost impossible to notice the catch. Naturally, the “traitor” will be the atomizer where, in theory, the mouthpiece in a regular tube should begin.
Button and contact group of the Dolores mechanical mod from Old Mod
The button that closes the circuit and makes the device work is slightly recessed inside the bowl, and even has a wooden plate on top that looks like tobacco stuffed in a pipe. Therefore, for those who have had experience with “classic” pipes, the movement of the thumb covering the bowl in order to better “heat” the contents will be not only very familiar, but also quite natural.
The unscrewed button visually differs little from any other mechanical one: it is made of brass, has a plastic insulating ring and a pad that closes the circuit with direct contact. Those. will require you to service the contacts of both the button itself and the battery. But if you don’t plan to use low-impedance drips on your Dolores (a very, very bad idea, especially with 18350!), then you won’t have to clean it often. The smooth contact surface on the button can be easily cleaned from traces of shorting with a regular soft eraser.
The button is screwed into the device until it touches the battery. Its stroke is very small, only about 1 mm, and always remains the same. There is no locking, but given the recessed position of the pusher, accidental pressing of the button, although not excluded, their risk can be considered minimal.
Stroke of the Dolores handset button
The button moves softly; pressing is accompanied by a quiet metallic sound, which inside the handset is almost completely muffled by the wood of the case.
Snapping, jamming and other “charms” characteristic of some inexpensive mechanics are not here. Structurally, the mechanism is reminiscent of the unforgettable Rogue Mod – a square stem with rounded corners allows you to avoid most of these problems. The button is disassembled in a standard way: you immediately need to unscrew the contact, and then a pusher with a rather thin and soft steel spring is removed from the body. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to put a Lee Spring here (I tried), there isn’t enough space for it inside the button body. Assembly occurs in exactly the same way, only in reverse order.
The only problem during disassembly can be caused by the contact – there is nothing to catch on it, there is no slot for a screwdriver, no knurling along the edge. I use leather gloves for disassembly: I simply press the contact with a gloved finger (this makes the grip better) and then unscrew it. I assemble it in the same way, pressing the contact with a glove. The pusher does not unscrew at will and the button cannot be disassembled inside the mod.
If you press the button “naturally”, i.e. with the thumb of the same hand in which the device is located, then there will be no misfires. If, nevertheless, the contact disappears when pressed, and “moving” the button when pressed no longer helps, then it is time to disassemble the mechanism and clean everything thoroughly. This process is no different from cleaning any other mechanics. For some time now I have been using isopropyl alcohol for my devices. Do not forget to wipe and clean not only all surfaces that rub and come into contact with the battery, but also all threads.
Restrictions and warnings for using the handset
The master in his group gives a number of recommendations on how to properly handle the device. Although they seem obvious, I will still list them here:
Do not put the handset in a bag, pocket or other place where you cannot control its position, as the handset does not have a button press lock. And it is possible that the button is pressed accidentally and for a long time, which can lead to damage to the atomizer, fire of the battery and burns.
Batteries are used only with a flat positive contact.
Do not use batteries with a damaged protective shell or dented contacts.
Keep the device out of the reach of children.
Impression
The first thing you must understand and accept is that any handset, although a damn attractive device, can hardly be called a “device for every day,” much less the role of the only one. Getting dirty, touching with dirty hands, dropping and breaking is a simple matter. Most likely already the second or generally for “beauty”. For everyday use, some kind of pod or setup from a small battery mod and a tank would be more suitable. But it’s simply a pity to carry such beauty in your pocket and risk it every day. Although I can’t say that Dolores is completely unsuited to this. Everything in it works as it should, does not cause problems, and it will learn to monitor the battery discharge “by feeling”, i.e. in terms of the amount of steam produced, there will be no problems. On the other hand, if you don’t soar like a steam locomotive, not letting go of your device for a minute, like me, and treat vaping not like smoking cigarettes, but rather a pipe – with rare smoke breaks every few hours – forget everything that I wrote a little earlier. The device will definitely suit you even as the only one.
Regarding the cost and possible execution options, it is best to contact a specialist for this information. In his VK group Old Mods you will find not only awesome photos from Anatolysam (hi, Tolya!) and other happy handset users, but also a number of recommendations for handling and caring for the devices. And also look at what other devices the author of my Dolores has already made. Well, maybe look for something for yourself. Tubes are now even less common than classical mechanics. And we are often asked where they can buy or order something like this.
